Fight-sensing cameras to cut crime on Britain’s streets

Computer science and violence experts are teaming up with technology specialists from Airbus Group to develop a system that will spot trouble brewing and guide police before anyone gets hurt.

The study will develop imaging technology which will automatically alert CCTV operators when fights are detected on city centre cameras.

"Smart" CCTV already exists and can count people and identifying cars. But the Cardiff project will go further by analysing night time crowds to provide ‘real time’ alerts, helping to prevent serious injury and reducing costs to health services.

Professor Simon Moore, from Cardiff University’s Violence and Society Research Group, said: "Developing ‘smart’ camera technology that can pinpoint violence is a really cost effective way of helping police to do their jobs. Officers can’t monitor hundreds of city centre CCTV cameras all the time.

"By using imaging technology, officers will be alerted to violence ‘hotspots’ in real-time, helping to further reduce violence. It’s a great way of using technology to make the streets safer for all of us."

Professor David Marshall, from the University’s Computer Science School, added: "This work builds on an active collaboration with the Violence and Society Research Group and research expertise in video analysis. Detecting violence from CCTV camera footage presents some interesting technical challenges due to the time of day (night time), the need to operate in all weather conditions, camera positions and recognising people’s often complex activities in such footage."

The project is a partnership between Cardiff University, Airbus Group (formerly EADS) and the Welsh Government. Airbus is developing the technological infrastructure, whilst the Welsh Government is providing funding.